I desperately want to win on the peninsula

Inside the nightclub, Kim Seolhyun looked up at Lin Qianqiao with sparkling eyes, completely ignoring the stranger next to her whose face instantly stiffened and became embarrassed. There was no questioning in her eyes, only a matter-of-fact "demand," as if to say: Give me some now! I'm right here!

This sudden announcement of being a "human-shaped pendant" clearly startled Lin Qianqiao. He could clearly feel the softness and warmth on his arm, as well as the slight sweat on Jin Xuexuan's body and the aura brought by her dance just now.

He looked down at Kim Seolhyun's round face, so close to his own, which seemed to say "I am her," and her bright eyes, which were fixed on him, filled with possessiveness and a "go along with me" signal.

A hint of helplessness flashed across Lin Qianqiao's eyes, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

Lin Qianqiao didn't try to break free. Instead, while Jin Xuexuan was holding him tightly, he turned his head and gestured with his chin toward the bartender. His tone was calm and natural, as if Jin Xuexuan had always been clinging to him: "Make her a non-alcoholic drink like the one we just had, with extra syrup."

"OK!" The bartender clearly recognized the two customers and readily agreed.

It was only then that Kim Seolhyun seemed to "finally" notice that there was someone else next to her.

She tilted her head slightly, a sweet yet noticeably distant smile on her face, and nodded to the man who had become nothing more than a background figure, as if to say hello.

She then turned all her attention back to Lin Qianqiao, holding his arm tightly without letting go, and nuzzled her head affectionately against his shoulder, muttering softly about how tired she was from jumping, completely ignoring him.

The girl looked at the incredibly natural yet intimate posture between the two, especially Kim Seolhyun's expressive hug and gaze, and she understood immediately.

Most importantly, the two were clearly wearing matching outfits: oversized black hoodies paired with three-piece sets, making them look relaxed and carefree. Their faces were completely unadorned, showing that they didn't care about makeup.

She couldn't even understand the old woman's gibberish; all she knew was that she was clinging to a man and wouldn't let go, and her chattering was quite noisy.

This situation precisely illustrates that the two are deeply in love and have definitely been living together for more than a year. Wouldn't it be too boring for them to go out for a couple's get-together late at night?

Once she had sorted out her thoughts and realized she couldn't win him over, the blonde man's smile completely vanished. She awkwardly said, "Enjoy your night," and then quickly turned and disappeared into the crowd with her friend.

Seeing the "obstacle" disappear, Kim Seolhyun let out a satisfied "humph," loosening her grip on Lin Qianqiao's arm slightly, but still not letting go.

She shook her head smugly, like a puppy that had successfully guarded its food, and whispered in Lin Qianqiao's ear, "See? I told you to keep it in your sight. I only looked away for a second and someone came!"

Lin Qianqiao glanced down at her, saying the exact opposite of what she meant. She raised her hand and flicked her smooth forehead lightly with her finger: "Come on, you've got all the sweat on my clothes."

His tone held a familiar disdain, yet he let her continue to cling to his arm. He took the sweet mojito from the bartender and placed it in Kim Seolhyun's other free hand.

"Then take off your clothes and give them to me, I'll wash them for you." Kim Seolhyun rubbed her forehead where she had been flicked, not angry at all. Instead, she smiled and took the drink, taking a big, satisfying sip.

"No"

Lin Qianqiao smirked, fully appreciating her shamelessness. "Are you still going to go play over there?"

"Let's not play for now, your situation is more serious." Kim Seol-hyun leaned close to Lin Qianqiao, sipping her drink, but her eyes scanned the surroundings warily like radar, as if she were ready to strike again at any moment.

"If you're not going to play anymore, go back."

Lin Qianqiao gently withdrew her hand. Since they couldn't have fun anymore, it was time to leave.

This action inexplicably made Kim Seolhyun's heart skip a beat. She frowned in extreme displeasure, turned her face away, and muttered under her breath, "Fine, let's go back then."

Lin Qianqiao glanced at her sideways, knowing that Jin Xuexuan was a bit silly. She was actually acting cute with someone she had only known for less than a day. By age, she was a year older than him. She had even chosen the wrong person to act cute with. No wonder she was ignoring him.

Then, he said irritably, "Stop trying to act cute with me."

Kim Seolhyun stole a glance at Lin Qianqiao, who was getting up to leave, and immediately reached out to grab his sleeve, pulling it back defiantly. Then she got up and followed him, muttering under her breath, "Hmph, I'm clearly angry, how come you can't even tell?"

"There's no difference, okay..." Lin Qianqiao was halfway through his rant when he noticed that the woman's actions were not clean. She secretly wrapped her arm around his again, and the two of them were pressed together in the club's corridor. He stopped talking and sighed at her personality.

After a moment, Lin Qianqiao tried to gently pull her arm away without making a sound, but then she found that Jin Xuexuan's grip was extremely strong and difficult to break free once it was held.

Kim Seolhyun felt the arm in her arms was extremely restless, and quickly subdued it, then pressed herself tightly against it with the ball in her arms.

She confidently explained her reasoning: "There's no need to struggle anymore. I practice rock climbing... Once I grab onto you, there's no way you can let go."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qianqiao's pupils contracted slightly; she was genuinely surprised.

What level of difficulty do you usually climb?

"They're all relatively safe beginner-level climbers, but the coach said I have a lot of talent and could try climbing walls that are more challenging..."

At this point, Lin Qianqiao completely gave up resisting, because the slightest movement would trigger the "Dislocating Tendons and Bones Technique"... a tingling and numb sensation.

Although the cushion is very soft and elastic, it still hurts quite a bit if you get scratched by it.

No wonder this woman is known as having the strongest physique. Rock climbing not only places strict demands on the core of the body, but also requires maintaining a certain body fat percentage in order to keep a light figure.

These skills require years of dedicated training, which shows how much Kim Seolhyun can spend in the gym, and her hands are incredibly strong.

Seeing this, Kim Seolhyun's lips curled into a smug smile as she rubbed her arm contentedly, completely oblivious to the strange look on Lin Qianqiao's face.

To be honest, Kim Seolhyun didn't understand why he cared so much about his feelings.

Although he had an innocent face that made him seem very approachable, he actually kept people at arm's length. It was precisely this sense of resistance that made her unable to resist reaching out her paw to pat and tease him, trying to find out his true thoughts.

And just now her gaze was slightly diverted... she wanted to fully immerse herself in the rhythm of the rave.

In the blink of an eye, she had been approached and was completely baffled as to why she had been angry. She had been drinking a non-alcoholic beverage, so why did she feel so intoxicated by him? It was all so inexplicable...

Even Kim Seolhyun, who is very confident in herself, couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat.

With a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind, she now had something more important to do, after the two of them left the noisy APT.

Kim Seolhyun gently patted her rumbling belly, her bright eyes scanning the street, finding it lined with nothing but clubs.

"Ah!! Don't people here need to eat?"

Kim Seolhyun couldn't help but stomp her foot and complain, then turned her head to look at Lin Qianqiao with innocent eyes, and then said in a pitiful tone, "Qianqiao, I'm hungry..."

"What would you like to eat?"

Lin Qianqiao, of course, wouldn't be so lacking in emotional intelligence as to reply: "Why didn't you eat anything at the restaurant? You must have been hungry after you finished having fun and venting your frustrations."

Rave, or simply disco, is just a term used by young people.

"I'm not a picky eater, I eat everything."

When Kim Seolhyun said that with her round, oval face, it was quite convincing; she looked like someone who would be easy to take care of.

Lin Qianqiao indeed thought so too. After recalling some good restaurants nearby, she said, "Let's go, I'll take you to eat Han Euem."

"Okay."

Kim Seolhyun didn't ask any questions when she heard about unfamiliar places. She just needed to relax and enjoy his arrangements, which was how it should be.

The two walked side by side down the dark street. It wasn't surprising to passersby who saw Lin Qianqiao and Jin Xuexuan, arm in arm and shoulder to shoulder, looking as intimate as a couple, since the street was full of men and women.

……

Inside the restaurant, Lin Qianqiao rested her chin on her hand, scrolling through her phone. Occasionally, she would glance at Jin Xuexuan across from her, who was happily munching on a large beef bone.

The stewed meat on the bones, cooked until tender, is often sucked into her mouth and chewed in less than two seconds. Judging from her squinting eyes and bulging cheeks, she is enjoying her meal and probably hasn't had a hearty binge in a long time. However, the sight of her dirty lips smacking her dry rice is quite soothing. It's just that this image makes it hard to believe she's an idol.

Suddenly, he understood why Huang Rong had shown such strong interest in Guo Jing upon their first meeting.

Aside from being silly, responsible, and loyal, all you need to do is look at this good-natured big dog in front of you, who's so happy he's practically lost his bearings after just a couple of bites of good food, and you'll understand.

Not to mention that Huang Rong was also a great cook. Just imagine her state of mind at the time... she probably wanted to take the playful Guo Jing home and raise him to be even bigger, which would give her a greater sense of accomplishment.

But it was under this nurturing model that Brother Dajing became a great hero who served the country and its people.

Just as he was lost in thought, the big, dazzling creature opposite him suddenly opened its eyes, giving the impression that it had suddenly choked.

Lin Qianqiao paused for a second, then glanced at the cup on her table and raised her hand to remind her, "If you choke, drink some water."

"I didn't choke; I just suddenly thought of something."

Kim Seolhyun smacked her lips. A few oil stains were visible on the white scarf at the collar of her black hoodie, but she seemed oblivious. She said with slight concern, "What if Jimin unnie and Jooheon can't find us at APT later?"

"You only remembered now?"

Lin Qianqiao shook her head helplessly and looked at Jin Xuexuan, who was completely unreliable. "I've already sent a message to Zhou Xian on social media. We'll meet at the parking lot after you finish eating. Don't worry."

"That's good." Upon hearing this, Kim Seolhyun quickly cheered up again and continued to devour her food, which clearly suited her taste.

After she finished a spicy braised chicken leg, her mouth couldn't stop moving as she chewed. Her bright eyes looked at Lin Qianqiao, "Qiao, the food here is so delicious! You must have loved eating here before, right? You have such good taste in food! Zzang!"

"This restaurant has a pretty good reputation. I used to eat here occasionally when I was in school. People from the peninsula who like to travel also come here to try it. The taste should be quite suitable for the peninsula. If you like it, eat more." Lin Qianqiao nodded slightly.

She thought it tasted good because she was craving it, since Lin Qianqiao had ordered dishes related to fitness for her. For example, the beef was all lean, the spicy stewed chicken legs were skinned by the kitchen staff, the seafood pancakes were full of protein, and there was a serving of cold noodles with carbohydrates. The side dishes included vegetables, so she didn't need to order them.

It's basically the same as a fitness meal, the difference being that this meal is flavorful, so it can be considered a indulgence meal.

It's like saying that eating too many hamburgers is not good for you, but if you break them down into bread, beef, and vegetables, they become quite nutritious.

"You used to study here, why didn't you continue living here?" Kim Seolhyun picked up a seafood pancake and stuffed it into her mouth, not forgetting to continue asking questions; she was genuinely curious.

"There's no reason." Lin Qianqiao shook his head, not wanting to explain, nor did he want to reveal his situation to Jin Xuexuan, whom he had only known for less than a day.

It wasn't that he was targeting her, but rather that he hadn't even told his teammates that his home was in LA, nor had he said much about his family situation, mainly because the situation at home was a bit complicated now.

According to his original plan, he would study at a university in the peninsula for two years and then transfer to the UK to study for a few more years, after which he could enjoy the rest of his life. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and he became an idol midway through his studies.

It wasn't that his family had fallen on hard times and he desperately needed to perform for money; it was that he had lost his mind.

"Oh..." Hearing that Lin Qianqiao had no intention of answering her questions and had not revealed any information about himself, Jin Xuexuan felt discouraged and gave a pitiful "oh".

Lin Qianqiao didn't react much to this. It wasn't that Jin Xuexuan's personality was unpleasant; in fact, her personality was quite genuine and likable. She just didn't have any intention of getting to know her better.

Anyway, after tonight, everyone will go their separate ways. Apart from the occasional nod or bump into each other due to scheduling conflicts, everyone can live their own wonderful lives afterward.

He then leaned back slightly on the sofa and continued scrolling through his phone. Having already eaten a late-night snack, he wasn't interested in the food on the table and had no intention of participating. He simply wanted to wait quietly.

The meal ended quietly, and after paying the bill, the two began walking towards the parking lot.

Lin Qianqiao texted Zhou Xian as she walked out, and was a little annoyed by the replies, but would still occasionally glance at Jin Xuexuan to see if she was lost.

Kim Seolhyun felt intimidated just by glancing at his expressionless face, and a feeling of grievance welled up in her heart.

I never expected to be treated this way just for asking him a question. The illusion that I could reach out and touch him completely vanished.

It was as if their relationship would return to square one after tonight, that is, as strangers.

They're basically people who can call each other by name, but if they meet after their debut, who wouldn't know the other's reputation?

……